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Gray triggerfishRetention openChannel · Texas
South Bay Pass
26.05°N · 97.18°W · Channel · Laguna Madre From the Port Of Brownsville to the Arroyo Colorado
Species here · tap to switch
Best score today · 12 AM · Gray triggerfish
- Now
- 462 PM CDT
- Best window
- 10 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing1.1 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when South Bay Pass scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 2 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
71Tide: EbbingCurrent: SlackWind & pressure
ECMWF
78Wind: 13 kt EPressure: SteadyWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
56Water temp: 87°F, hotLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 1.9 ftSeason & habitat · Gray triggerfish
Species seasonality
45Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Texas state waters (shore to 9 nautical miles, bays included)
Gray triggerfish
Retention open- Daily limit
- 20 per day
- Possession
- 40 in possession
- Size
- Minimum 16 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Have a descending device or venting tool ready for reef fish showing signs of barotrauma. Federal-waters rules may differ. The possession limit is double the daily bag and does not count fish stored at your residence. While fishing, you may not hold more than the daily bag.
From TPWD 2026-27 Outdoor Annual, Triggerfish Bag & Length Limits, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Cobia Retention open (1 per day)
- Gag grouper Retention open (2 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- King mackerel Retention open (3 per day)
- Red drum Retention open (3 per day)
- Red snapper Retention open (4 per day)
- Sailfish Retention open
- Sheepshead Retention open (5 per day)
- Snook Retention open (1 per day)
- Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (3 per day)
- Striped bass Retention open (5 per day)
- Tarpon Retention open (1 per day)
Source: TPWD · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Gray triggerfish is best here
Shoulder season for Gray triggerfish · 9 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
South Bay Pass
- Depth
- 2-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Pass · Inner · Semi-exposedPass · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonGray triggerfish
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing South Bay Pass
South Bay Pass is a channel in Laguna Madre From the Port Of Brownsville to the Arroyo Colorado, Texas. Depth is 2-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads pass, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 15 species here; the best right now are Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack and Atlantic croaker. It is peak season now for Atlantic tarpon, crevalle jack, Atlantic croaker and red drum, and shoulder season for Spanish mackerel, gray snapper, black drum and gray triggerfish. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September. Crevalle jack peak from June through September. Atlantic croaker peak from June through September.
Tackle & technique
- Gray triggerfish
- Gray triggerfish hover a few feet over reefs, wrecks and ledges, usually in 60 to 200 feet, and often show up while snapper fishing. Use small, strong circle hooks with small pieces of squid or cut bait on a short bottom rig, because they nibble and strip big baits. Keep the bait just off the bottom and reel steadily at the first solid pull.
- Atlantic tarpon
- Tarpon roll along beaches, in passes and channels, and under bridges from late spring through fall, and in South Florida some fish stay through winter in warm canals and backcountry rivers. Live crabs, mullet or pinfish drifted through a pass on the outgoing tide, or a fly or soft plastic cast ahead of a rolling string of fish, are the main approaches. Use a long heavy leader, bow to the jumps, and keep big fish in the water for release.
- Crevalle jack
- Jacks roam in schools through inlets, passes, bays, river mouths and along beaches, pushing bait to the surface, and big fish also hold on nearshore reefs and wrecks. Watch for birds and surface blowups, then cast a popper, a spoon or a bucktail into the school and retrieve fast. Bring heavy spinning tackle, because a jack over 15 pounds runs hard and fights for a long time.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Back Bay60
Bay · 1.8 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 60
- Atlantic tarpon 59
- Atlantic croaker 56
13 kt EL 7:48 PM · 0.7 ftH 3:55 AM · 1.6 ft
- Boca Chica Bay59
Bay · 3.4 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 59
- Red drum 59
- Atlantic tarpon 59
13 kt EL 8:05 PM · 0.7 ftH 3:49 AM · 1.7 ft
- South Bay57
Bay · 1.4 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 57
- Crevalle jack 55
- Red drum 55
13 kt EL 8:05 PM · 0.7 ftH 3:49 AM · 1.7 ft
- Stover Point56
Cape · 13 mi
Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season- Atlantic tarpon 56
- Red drum 54
- Crevalle jack 48
13 kt EL 12:43 AM · 0.4 ftH 8:28 AM · 0.7 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with TPWD before you keep a fish.